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Grilled Veggie Shawarma Burgers

Happy Friday friends!!!  I hope you all are having a great week.  My week has been chock full of wedding fun.  Slowly but surely things are getting checked off my list.  Today as I was driving home from running errands I had this overwhelming feeling come over me that I am ready to be married.  Our engagement was almost 13 months long, so up to this point it felt like I was planning this giant party, one where I would eventually get married, but it just seemed so far away.  Now that we are just about a week away, and most of the big things are taken care of, I am ready.  I am so excited to walk down the aisle towards the man of my dreams, say my vows in front of my family and friends, and have the best party of my life.  I am ready for my wedding day, and I'm also ready for what comes after that as well.

Okay, enough lovey dovey stuff for one day.  I just get really excited about it.

You know what else I'm really excited for?  This recipe!  (nice transition, I know) After writing about my favorite things yesterday, I had a huge craving for chickpea shawarma.  I also really wanted to grill out on this beautiful day.  So I did both.

I turned my favorite recipe into veggie burgers and grilled them!  While I love the messiness of the normal dish, this take on it makes this meal easy to eat and portable.  I can totally see myself making these for friends who come over for summer bbqs.  They were so easy to throw together and totally delicious.

so.much.flava.

I baked my burgers first, so they weren't mushy in the centers.  Then I threw them on the grill to finish them off.  You could easily pan fry these, or bake them longer if you don't have access to a grill.  Or if the birds have taken over the inside of your grill (speaking from experience here).  

these people had the same problem, we didn't let it get this bad though

Back to the recipe, make these.  Baked, fried, grilled, whatever you fancy.  They are awesome!  I also made homemade hummus and cucumber sauce to serve on them.  You could easily sub store bought hummus if you want.  We had them on Arnold's Multi-grain Sandwich Thins and served them with Alexia sweet potato tots.  Yummmmmm.

Grilled Veggie Shawarma Burgers

Ingredients -

(for the burgers)

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 t yellow curry powder
• 2 t evoo
• 3/4 t salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1/2 c rolled oats

(for the cucumber sauce)

• 1 container plain greek yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cucumber
• 1/4 t salt

(other ingredients)

• fresh spinach
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumber
• feta cheese
• buns
• fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions-

-Pour shawarma ingredients into a medium sized bowl

-Let sit 20 minutes-1 hour marinading

-Put ingredients for cucumber sauce into a blender or food processor

-Blend on high until everything is combined

-Put oats into the food processor, pulse until roughly chopped

-Add shawarma ingredients, pulse until combined, but still a little chunky.  You want this to be doughy enough that it sticks together, but still has a little texture to it.

-Wet your hands and form into 4 patties.  

-Place onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 6 minutes on each side (maybe a little longer if you are just baking them)

-If you are grilling them, at this point put them onto your grill (I sprayed mine with oil first so they wouldn't stick) and cook 3 minutes per side

-To plate, spread some hummus on the bottom of your bun (no dirty reference intended)

-Add a layer of spinach, followed by tomato, burger, feta, cucumber sauce, and cilantro

-Put on your top bun and eat it!!!  

Craving satisfied!  Until tomorrow that is... good thing there's leftovers ;)

A few of my favorite things... May edition

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...

Alright enough of that.  I've been trying to think of fun post series to share with you guys.  I love seeing what other people's favorite kitchen, home, fashion and beauty favorite products are.  It's so fun finding products that I "must have" - things I didn't even know I was missing out on.  I also would love to hear from all of you (don't be shy).  What are your current favorite things?

Favorite face product: Clean and Clear Persa-gel

This stuff is incredible.  Between finals, insurance claims, and last minute wedding planning, things are getting a little stressful up in here.  And my face is taking the brunt of this stress.  Fortunately, this stuff works like magic.  Just put a little on a trouble area twice a day and poof, trouble spot gone!  

Favorite Season Finale: Bones

Talk about a cliffhanger!  OMG!!!!  Please tell me I'm not the only one obsessed with this show.  I don't think I can wait all summer long to see what's going to happen.  I'm normally not one to look up spoilers ahead of time, but I honestly don't know if I'll be able to help it on this one.  Yikes!

Favorite coffee: Verena Street Mississippi Grogg Blend

We discovered this coffee right before Christmas at Sam's Club.  It is roasted in Dubuque, IA and the blend of butterscotch, caramel and hazelnut is to die for.  The flavor is not overwhelming at all, just a nice subtle hint of specialness.  Also, it doesn't make my stomach hurt at all, which is rare for me (sorry for the oversharing).  It's best with just some milk stirred in, and a few drops of stevia if I'm feeling a little sweet.

Favorite summer "brew": Leinenkugels "Pink lemonade"

aka Summer Shandy mixed with Berry Weiss

image from here

I normally don't like berry weiss by itself, too fruity tutty for me.  But this combo is killer.  It honestly tastes just like pink lemonade.  And it's from good old Wisconsin, so of course I love it even more.

Favorite can't stop thinking about it recipe: Chickpea shawarma

This is seriously one of those meals that I crave all.the.time.  It's so flavorful and tasty, but it doesn't leave me feeling weighed down at all.  I ran out of curry powder making this, need to get my hands on some more asap!!!

Favorite kitchen gadget: my garlic press

I don't think I've introduced you guys to my lovely little garlic press.  I got this Pampered Chef press as a Christmas gift 5 years ago or so.  It's incredible.  I love garlic SOOOOO much but it sucks having to mince it; I can never get it fine enough.  Plus, I'm sure I already have garlic smell (mixed with cake batter) coming out of my pores.  Better to leave it off my hands.  This one also comes with a nifty little tool to get all of the garlic out of the holes too.  Nice!

Favorite fiance: Mr. What's Annie Making

Hands off ladies.  He's mine. We're in the single digits now!!!  That's like less than 10!!!!!!  That means that in less than 10 days I will marry the man of my dreams and be the happiest girl in the world (even when he tries to squash me like a bug).

And there you have it.  Some of my current faves.  Now it's your turn - tell me what you just can't get enough of right now.  There's still some time, maybe I can add it to our registry ;)

BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

When it comes to leftovers I'm a picky lady.  Some things (soups, grain salads, chickpea shawarma, pasta salads, desserts) taste great leftover.  Other things taste awful (reheated pizza anyone????).  When I cook something to perfection once, chances are that reheating them will turn them into overcooked soggy nasty-ness.  Sorry to all of you leftover lovers out there!

I haven't perfected my meal planning well enough yet to eliminate unwanted leftovers, so I've had to become a little creative.  Repurposed leftovers folks, that's what I'm talkin' bout.  Leftover noodles?  Throw them on as a pizza topping (Ian's style).  Leftover salmon?  (tragedy, I know) Throw it on top of a fresh green salad!  Leftover grilled chicken and sweet potatoes?  Turn them into a quesadilla!  Seriously.  Do it.

We grilled some happy chicken and sweet potatoes one night last week, and only ended up eating 1 of the chicken breasts between the two of us.  (Blame it on the late afternoon fro-yo - oops!)  The next night, the cold grilled chicken was staring at me from the fridge saying, "eat me!!!" but I just couldn't bring myself to eat reheated chicken breast plain.  Blechhhhh.  So I decided to shred it, add some Sweet Baby Ray's, and turn it into a brand spankin' new meal.  Brilliant.  

BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

makes 2 large dillas

Ingredients

• 1 cooked chicken breast (mine had been grilled the night before)
• 1/2 c bbq sauce
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2 c diced cooked sweet potatoes
• 2/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
• ranch dressing or blue cheese for dipping

Directions

-Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray

-Shred the chicken breast with forks

-Stir in the bbq sauce

-Layer half of the chicken, cheese, and sweet potatoes on one tortilla

-Add the other tortilla to the top

-Cook 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown

-Drizzle with extra bbq sauce and ranch or blue cheese dressing

-Cut into wedges and serve

Leftovers?  What leftovers?  Coulda fooled me!!!  The little blackened grilled bits from the chicken and sweet potatoes added some of that sweet summer flavor we all love so much.  

Talk to me!

Do you like leftovers?

 

Mexican Delight

Mexican delight - what on God's green earth is that?  This my friends, is what happened last week when I was sick of eating sandwiches and salads during finals week and needed a no-fuss meal.  I threw a few cans of stuff together in my crock pot, went to the library for the day, and came home to this deliciousness.  It's like having my own personal chef!

Perfect for those days when you know you won't have time to cook a meal after work, or those steamy summer days that you can't stand the thought of heating your kitchen up.  This dish is simple, but is full of big flavors.  It's sure to make your whole family happy.   (wow, I sound like a commercial right now - blame it on the concussion ;) )

Why is it called mexican delight?  When Josh got home from work he asked me what we were having for dinner.  I thought about what it was for a second, and this clever little name just kind of came to me.  I'm not really sure what else to call it.  I'm not really a huge hot dish person (otherwise known as casserole to non-midwestern folks).  So it's not a hot dish :)  It is however Mexican, and it is delightful.  And that is good enough for me.

Mexican Delight
serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans - drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can green chiles
• 2 cups water
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups corn (I used frozen)
• 1 1/2 c brown rice
• sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips to garnish

Directions
-Add beans, tomatoes, chiles, water, taco seasoning and corn to crock pot
-Cook on low 6-8 hours
-Add rice, cook 1 - 1.5 more hours, add additional water if needed to cook the rice

-Scoop into bowls and garnish with your desired mix-ins

Raspberry Mango Muffins

These muffins make me smile.  They are moist, fruity, healthy and delicious.  The greek yogurt base adds a protein punch that will keep you fuller, longer.  They are a spin off of my strawberry lemon poppyseed muffins, and dare I say it, I might like them even better!  It might be the white chocolate chips that get all melty.  The raspberry greek yogurt gives just a hint of raspberry flavor without being overpowering.  Pretty much a perfect little breakfast.

Raspberry Mango Muffins
servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 6 t canola oil
• 1 6 oz container raspberry greek yogurt
• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 c white chocolate chips

Directions

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees

-Mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl

-Mix sugar, egg, canola oil, vanilla and yogurt in a bowl

-Add wet to dry, stirring until just combined

-Stir in mango and white chocolate chips

-Scoop into muffin pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray (I used an ice cream scoop to do this)

-Bake 20 minutes, until top is golden brown

-Enjoy!!!

As of late

Hi friends,

I feel like it's been forever since I've talked to you all.  I guess we've got some catching up to do here.  I've been in kind of a daze the past few days.  Well, actually, really in a daze.  I can't say too much on here right now, but Thursday night we were in a minor car accident where we were rear ended and the other driver fled the scene on foot.  Because she left her car there we were able to get her information, which is a good thing.

Anyhow, when we were hit, I hit my head pretty hard against the back of my seat.  I felt fine right after, but Friday morning when I woke up I started to get a terrible headache, my neck was really sore, I felt like I was going to puke, and just kind of in an overall daze.  I called the doctor and they told me to come in right away.  They gave me the full work up and told me I had a concussion and mild whiplash.

Now it's Sunday and I'm still feeling pretty out of it.  The doctor said I should start to feel better soon though.  I'm hoping so, because I have an awful lot to do this week before the wedding!  For now, I have to rest and lay low to give myself a chance to heal.

It could have been a lot worse.  The other driver was in a giant SUV so if they would have been going any faster, the damage would have been terrible I'm sure.  There were a few lessons that I learned from this that I thought I would share with you all.  Some of them may seem silly, but I think it's worth it to give them a little thought.

1. Keep your eyes on the road.  The other driver was bending down in her car to get her fast food.  Her eyes were not on the road, she couldn't ever see over the steering wheel for peet sake.  
2. Wear your seatbelt!  Huge one right here.  I don't care if you don't think it's cool.  You'll be even less cool if you end up seriously injured because you weren't wearing it.  Josh and I both had ours on and I can only imagine how much worse off I would be right now had I not had it on.
3. Keep your insurance info and registration in a handy spot in your car.  In the heat of an accident there's a lot going on.  The last thing you want to be doing is digging around trying to find these.
4. If you're ever in an accident, make sure to get the other driver's information right away.  In my case, the other driver seemed very nice at first, but when she found out that I was going to call the police to report the accident she freaked out and bolted.  (Turns out she was driving after her license had been revoked, she thought she was going to jail)
5. Do not underestimate the power of shock.  I was very calm and collected about the whole thing until it came time to write up an incident report.  At that point I lost it.  I started crying and all of the emotions started coming out.  Also, I didn't feel the extent of my injuries (or know I was even hurt) until the next morning.
6. Head injuries are not something to mess around with.  We were not going fast at all.  When I had a headache I thought maybe I was just stressed out, then I started listening to my body and really feeling the full effects.  The doctor described it as literally "having your bell wrung".  While there is nothing that the doctor can really do for a concussion, they can confirm that it's not something worse.
7. It's a good idea to call the cops after an accident to get a police report filed.  Minor accidents don't require one, but it's so much easier for insurance purposes.  I submitted my claim with the incident report, and now I just have to sit back and wait.  There is a reason you pay for car insurance people.

This whole thing has forced me to slow down and focus on what's important right now.  I am grateful that I was done with finals when it happened.  Josh has been amazing taking care of me.  I can't wait to marry him in 13 days!!!  And all of those little things that I have been stressed about, well they will either happen or not.  And at the end of the day we will have an amazing day, surrounded by our loved ones, and be married.

Sorry for the somber Sunday post.  Tomorrow I will have something better.  I managed to throw together some muffins for breakfast that turned out incredible.

Question of the day -
Have you ever been in a car accident?

Fun Facts Friday

1.  I am d-o-n-e with finals!!!!!  woooooo hoooooo!!!  I had my last one yesterday morning.  I survived my first year of grad school.  It was tough, and a lot of work, but totally worth it.

2.  I get to go back to school in 2.5 weeks.  We have summer classes and clinic, so it's not quite a super relaxing summer.  That's okay.  Hopefully it won't be quite as stressful as the rest of the school year.  And I have my honeymoon to look forward to!

3.  My house is a Mess.  That's right, mess with a capital M.  I try to keep things organized during finals as much as possible, but with wedding projects going on too all hope was lost.  Plan for today - clean.

4.  Now that I'm done with finals I can officially get super duper excited for my wedding!  I don't have to feel bad for obsessing over the small details instead of studying.  #pumped  15 days!!!!!!!!!!!

5.  The best thing I made this week was this little beauty.  They were so good that Josh asked for them 3 nights in a row.

6.  I learned this week after a few minor studying breakdowns that my wedding mascara is indeed "cry-proof".  Everything is labeled water proof, but I've learned this doesn't mean diddly when it comes to tears.  I do not want to look like a raccoon on my wedding day, or worry that I can't cry because my makeup will run and then my face will be all scrunched up or something.  Anyhow, this stuff is the best.  A little pricey, but totally "cry-proof".

7.  I am so stinking excited to share my wedding details with you.  I've let a few slip here and there, but I want everyone who comes to be surprised by things.  This has been really hard for me though.  Good thing I only have to wait a few more days.

Pumpkin Mug Cake

This should be the real "How to survive finals" post.  Screw coffee, sleep, working out and healthy snacks.  You can make a cake in a mug in all of 3 minutes.  Woo hoo!!!

In all seriousness, you probably should still get some sleep.   But when you're reaching your breaking point, this cake might help.  This wonderful masterpiece happened after studying for 10 hours straight yesterday and feeling like I still didn't know anything.  I was on my last leg, ready to pull my hair out, and then I had a revelation.  Mix 4 ingredients in a mug, microwave, and eat the sweet hot bliss.

After I enjoyed my cake, I was ready to tackle another few hours of trying to read my messy notes, and quiz myself about the central nervous system.  It was like magic.  Magic cake, that's what this is.

You don't need to take finals to enjoy this (thank goodness).  It's a wonderful sweet treat that is so quick to throw together you could make it anytime.  #dangerous  I'm sensing some major spin offs of this recipe in my future.  Oh, and the pumpkin... don't judge me.  Pumpkin can should be enjoyed year round.  Mmmmmkay?

Pumpkin Mug Cake


Ingredients

• 3/4 c yellow cake mix
• 3/4 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 t vegetable oil
• white chocolate chips for the topping (optional)

Directions


-Spray a large mug with cooking spray (make sure it's a big one, or your cake will bake up over the sides)
-Mix cake mix, pumpkin, spices, and oil in the mug

I mixed mine in here, but this was completely not necessary, save a dish!

-Microwave 3 minutes on high
-Remove using a pot holder, the mug will be really hot

-Add a few white chocolate chips to the top as "frosting" if you want

-Let cool at least a minute before eating (I know, this is hard, but you don't want to burn your tongue)
-Enjoy!!!!

Now that I've had my magic cake I'm ready to study.  Bring it on last final!

Buffalo Chickpea Salad Wraps

This post is part 2 in my "man-friendly" recipe series.  First, we made beef stew which was great, and I'm pretty sure Josh was in heaven with the leftovers for a week straight.  Now we have something completely different, buffalo chickpea salad wraps.  Say what?!?!

Every once in a while I crave food from Buffalo Wild Wings.  But I'm a sissy when it comes to wings.  I prefer mild sauce (or bbq) and no bones, please and thank you.  Better yet, throw my boneless wings (aka chicken tenders) into a wrap.  That makes me a happy girl.  I get all of that buffalo flavor without the mess!  

This dinner is my attempt at recreating the buffalo chicken wrap in a healthier way.  It's still 100% full of flavor and crunchy texture, but it takes a fraction of time time to make, you don't have to fry or bake anything (bonus in the summer!) and your arteries will be happier too.  It's so fast to make you could definitely do this for a quick lunch too.

I used my new favorite Flat-Out Wraps to wrap 'em all up.  These things are seriously my new favorite way to eat a sandwich.  They are soft so they don't crack when you roll them.  Whoever engineered these babies is a genius because somehow, my fillings hardly ever fall out!  You can roll them nice and tight.

If you don't have Flat-Outs you could do this with a regular tortilla, but I would seriously consider picking some up.  They're awesome!

Buffalo Chickpea Salad Wraps


Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3/8 c buffalo sauce (I use Frank's, it's the bomb)
• 1/8 c unsalted almonds
• 1/2 bell pepper
• Flat-out wraps (or tortillas)
• bleu cheese
• spinach
• sprouts (optional)
• crumbled bacon (optional)
• bleu cheese or ranch dressing

Directions:


-Chop almonds and peppers roughly

-Put rinsed chickpeas in a medium sized bowl
-Mash with a potato masher, or a strong fork until chunky (you want some chunks in here, it should resemble this)

-Add peppers and almonds, stir
-Add buffalo sauce, stir until well combined

-Layer spinach, chickpeas, bleu cheese, crumbled bacon (if using it), sprouts, and dressing about 1/3 of the way from the end of the wrap

-Wrap it up tight

-Eat up!!!

This meal was so easy to throw together and it was fun to have a different take on a "salad sandwich".  There are so many textures from the roughly mashed chickpeas to the crunchy almonds and peppers.  Party in your mouth!!! Josh loved the buffalo and bleu cheese flavors, and I loved that I could enjoy them in a nice, clean way.  #winnerwinnerchickpeadinner

My favorite lunch salad

I was looking at my posts this past weekend and I realized that I don't really have a lot of lunch posts on here.  There are two reasons for this:
1.  I tend to take a lot of left overs for lunch.  I just pack them up when I'm cleaning up dinner from the night before and everything is ready to go for me in the morning.
2.  When I don't feel like leftovers (let's face it, some times they just don't sound good) I take a salad.

I started putting these ingredients together last year when I packed my lunch every day for work and I still can't get enough.  Every once in a while I'll throw something crazy in, but this is my standard.  I guess I never thought to post it because, well, it's a salad.  But it's a darn good one, so here goes.

For my salad base I always use spinach.  No iceberg or romaine for this girl.  Spinach is tastier and way healthier too!  Then I add tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, and usually some chickpeas for protein.  To top it off I throw in some dried cranberries for sweetness and feta cheese.  If I have them, I normally bring a few multigrain pita chips to crumble on top right before I eat it, gives it a nice little crunch!

For my dressing, Angela's Better Than Balsamic Vinaigrette is my all-time favorite.  Once I tasted this dressing I never wanted to have bottled salad dressing again.  It's so easy and tasty!   I usually make it in a 1/2 pint canning jar and then just throw it in my lunch bag and use what I want when I'm ready to eat.  (don't worry, this dressing is not from 2011, the pickled beans that originally came in the jar were :) )

This salad is sure to please your taste buds, and your iceberg eating lunch mate jealous.  I usually eat mine with a greek yogurt on the side for some extra protein and staying power (nobody likes to hear their stomach grumbling at 2:00 - the worst!)  One of these cookies would also round out this lunch time feast nicely.

Question of the day -

What's your favorite thing to pack for lunch?  Do you like leftovers?

How to survive finals

At this point in my college career I've been through 11 finals weeks.  Yikes bikes!!!  Still, every time this week comes along I freak out  tend to get a little nervous.  I've had my fair share of late nights and cry sessions.  I think my freshman year was the worst.  I ended up with a full blown migraine in the middle of the week for a day straight.  Another time I had to calm my nerves by shoe shopping.  Then there's the inevitable final on my birthday in the winter semester.  That's always a good time.

As many horror stories as I have, I'd like to think that after so many times taking finals I've learned a few things. So without further ado, here are my tips and tricks for surviving this week.

1.  Get some sleep.  I can't say this enough.  Sure you may have to burn the candle a little more on both ends to cram everything in, but don't pull an all nighter.  It's not worth it.  I am better off getting a few hours of sleep and waking up and studying a little more before the test in the morning.  Studies show that you retain the most information if you get some rem zzzzzs after you've studied.   Plus, if you stay up all night you'll be so tired and groggy during the actual final you won't be able to think clearly.

2.  Get up and move around.  Take short breaks and go walk or run around.  Better yet, go get a quick workout or run in.  Your mind needs a little break every now and again.  When you get done you'll be more focused too!

3.  Caffeine is sort of your friend.  Coffee and tea are good to help you stay awake and focused, but don't rely too heavily on them so you're jittery and crazy feeling.  Also, you don't want to crash after the coffee buzz wears off, or not be able to sleep if you are pounding the energy drinks late at night (See tip #1).

4.  Eat healthy snacks.  Your body will probably crave carb filled, salty and sweet snacks but you'll feel better when you're studying if you eat better things.  Try to get in some fresh vegetables, fruits, protein, whole grains... yadda yadda.  In all seriousness though, it's kind of like fueling up for a big race or game, you'll perform better when you're not full of junk.

Some of my healthy snack favorites are hummus and dippers (carrots, peppers, pita chips, pretzels)

Energy Boost Cookies

 Green Monsters

Dark chocolate (for antioxidants of course :) )

 Mango 'nana white chocolate granola bars

 Honey glazed almonds

5.  Make lists, cross things off.  There is nothing better than the satisfaction of physically crossing something off that to-do list.  

6.  Set aside time to not study.  If you manage your time well enough, you should be able to set aside a little time for some "you time".  Don't feel bad for taking it either.  Shoe shopping is wonderful "you time" fyi!

7.  Remember that it will be over in a week, then life will get so much better.  You can do it!  Just relax and take some deep breaths.

To all of you taking finals, good luck!  To all of you that are no longer taking finals, you lucky ducks!  I'd love to hear your finals experiences and tips.  Leave me some comment lovin'!